Burke pioneering new helmet technology

GOSHEN — More than the spread option, more than offseason weightlifting, the biggest trend in high school football these days is finding ways to make the game safer.

BY WILLIAM MONTGOMERY

GOSHEN — More than the spread option, more than offseason weightlifting, the biggest trend in high school football these days is finding ways to make the game safer.

At John S. Burke Catholic High School, the Eagles are pioneering a new helmet technology.

Burke Catholic's football players have been wearing the Guardian protective helmet cover through their summer schedule. On the first day of practice, every varsity and jayvee player had a Guardian cap over their helmets.

"What it does is it reduces impact," said Burke Catholic coach Ed Van Curen Jr. "If you're getting that head-to-head contact, it reduces impact by up to 33 percent. Our philosophy was, something is better than nothing and if it doesn't work, it's like not having them on. If it does work, being a small school and with every athlete being important to us, it possibly helps keep athletes on the field. If it protects a kid from having problems down the road with concussions or head injuries, it's well worth it."

Guardian, an Atlanta-based company, has supplied the helmet caps to many high schools around the country. A handful of SEC teams have also worn them through their spring and summer practices. Burke Catholic is one of just five football programs in the state to have purchased at least 20 caps from Guardian. Goshen Youth Football and Loyal Roy-Hart Youth Football also wear the caps.

The lightweight, soft foam cap attaches to the helmet with loops through the facemask and adjusts to fit with a velcro strap in the back. They look similar to the headgear worn by rugby players and soccer goalkeepers.

Tri-Valley head coach John Rusin barked some motivation at his players as they wrapped up practice with a series of conditioning drills.

"We might not be the biggest team, but we're going to be the best-conditioned!"

The Bears will be using players along the line that would probably be slotted at another position if they went to any other school. One such player is 5-foot-7, 195-pound senior center Alberto Hernandez.

"We knew we're going up against bigger guys, but we try to have our toughness," he said. "We're small, but we're really strong. Our linemen are pretty good this year. We have toughness and they might be stronger than us, yeah, but we have technique. We'll get to them. We'll be able to hold them off.

A big, hulking line isn't exactly the key to offensive success for Tri-Valley anyway, as their triple-option attack thrives with quicker blockers able to get to the outside.

"We don't need that. Definitely, having smaller, agile linemen, it helps them move quicker gets the offense up-tempo and catches teams off-guard," said junior quarterback Justin Swarthout. "They're not seeing what we're going to do. It keeps them guessing and keeps them on their heels, so we can take advantage of that."

At the end of the second day of practice, Liberty coach John Wilhelm gathered his team around for a few words of wisdom. He told his players to drink plenty of fluids and to get a good night's sleep, but he also had a very 2013 message.

Be careful what you post on social media.

"You're a coach, you're everything," Wilhelm said. "You're a teacher, a coach, like a parent. There are a lot of things you have to do."

A decade ago, coaches couldn't have imagined the role social media would play among their players. Wilhelm stressed the importance of avoiding trash talk on Twitter and Facebook and how that could motivate opponents. He also advised against sending photos of postgame parties, and other proof of things they shouldn't be doing off the field.

"I'm on Facebook and Instagram, that's it," said senior center and linebacker Kevin Brannigan. "I never post anything. It's just there. I don't use it too much. When I do use it, it's mostly about practices. Things like, 'Practice today at 4:30. Be there.'"

For those athletes considering playing at the next level, they're concerned about what a potential college coach might intuit from their tweets or other postings.

"I have to think twice about a lot of things just because you don't know if colleges are going to look at something like that," said senior quarterback Quinn Jackson. "I really have to watch what I post. Sometimes I just kind of backspace a couple things."